Political Reform in China

The Chinese Communist Party and General Secretary Xi Jinping face unparalleled challenges as the party approaches its 100th anniversary in 2021. Deng Xiaoping’s legacy and his promise to Hong Kong residents to maintain “one country, two systems” are now threatened by persistent protests against leaders selected by Beijing. In Xinjiang, the suppression of Islam and ethnic Uyghurs builds upon decades of domination of Tibetan Buddhists and other minority religious populations and allows Xi new opportunities to centralize control over the Chinese state. Meanwhile, China’s once relatively amicable relationship with the U.S. has deteriorated into an unpredictable trade war that threatens to end the free flow of people, ideas, capital and technology between the world’s two largest markets.